In contemporary communications systems, connections, e.g. for voice, video, multimedia and/or data communication, which are traditionally routed via circuit-switched communications networks, are to an increasing extent also being switched via packet-switched communications networks, such as e.g. so-called local area networks (LANs) or the Internet. For example, Internet telephony, frequently also referred to as “Voice over Internet Protocol” (VoIP), is based on this technology.
At the point of transition of a connection between a circuit-switched and a packet-switched communications network, it is usually necessary, owing to the differing transmission and signaling protocols, to convert control signaling information provided for connection control. As well as an implementation of cross-network setup and cleardown of connections, the principal problem that poses itself here is also to ensure cross-network control and interworking of service features in the communications system.